BusTravel Iceland · Grundarfjörður port
A BusTravel Iceland coach meets cruise ships at the Grundarfjörður pier, drives a few minutes to Kirkjufell for the longest stop of the day, then crosses to the south side of the peninsula and back in about five hours. It's the easy answer if your ship docks below the mountain and you'd rather not organise a car.
Grundarfjörður is one of Iceland's cruise ports, and Kirkjufell stands just west of town. This excursion is timed to the ships: BusTravel Iceland runs it from May to September with start times set by the arrivals. Look for a white coach with the BusTravel logo by the harbour at Norðurgarður. The first stop is Kirkjufell, about 50 minutes, and the listing marks admission there as included. The coach then crosses the peninsula to Snæfellsjökull National Park, Djúpalónssandur, the Lóndrangar basalt cliffs, Arnarstapi and the black church at Búðir, and brings you back to the ship.
Be realistic about the clock. The listed stop times add up to nearly five hours of stops alone, before any driving, so something gives: one guest found every stop about 15 minutes shorter than stated. There's no lunch stop either. A guest wrote that there's hardly time to buy a snack, and the savvy ones brought a packed lunch from the ship. The coach takes up to 59, and getting on and off that many times is tiring if you're not steady on your feet.
It's rated 4.3, the lowest score on this site, mostly for the timing; the guides get warm reviews. If your ship stays long enough and you want Kirkjufell from a different angle, the kayak trip starts a short walk from the tender landing. The mountain is closed to climbers in winter and dangerous at any time, so don't plan a hike on a port day.
Find the white BusTravel Iceland coach by the cruise harbour.
A few minutes' drive to the mountain and the falls, the longest stop of the day.
Over the peninsula to Snæfellsjökull National Park and Djúpalónssandur.
The basalt sea stacks, the cliffs at Arnarstapi and the black church.
The coach returns to the pier in time for all aboard.
★★★★★This tour exceeded our expectations and it was the perfect itinerary for the area on our cruise port stop. The guide was amazing and provided us with alot of information and stories. Highly recommend!
★★★★★Excellent guide and stops on the tour. On time and made sure we were all back in time to get on our ship. Well worth it.
★★★★★This was a fabulous excursion. Saw so much of the peninsula. Lots of photo stops snd hikes to beautiful spots. Vjeran, our guide was great!!!! He had so much information about the area.
★★★★★Great experience to get to know Iceland .Darren and Pablo,the driver did a great job.Our guide managed in a few hours to tell us a lot about every aspect of the country.Everything was well organised.We had plenty of time to visit the different sites and were right on time in the cruiseport.
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A few minutes by coach. The mountain stands about 2 km west of town, and it's the first stop on this excursion.
No. Lunch isn't included and there's no real meal stop in five hours. Bring food from the ship.
It's built around the ships, and reviewers say the guides keep to the all-aboard time. Give your ship details when you book.
From May to September, the cruise season in Grundarfjörður. Start times follow the ships' arrivals.
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Straight from the cruise pier in Grundarfjörður: about 50 minutes at Kirkjufell and the south coast in five hours.
Kayaking by Mount KirkjufellTwo hours from Grundarfjörður, about 70 minutes of it on the water below the mountain, often with seals. Ages 10+.★ 4.8 · 2 hours · from $120
Premium Snæfellsnes Small-Group Day TripKirkjufell as the first stop, in the best light of the day, with pickup included and 19 seats at most.★ 4.8 · 11 hours · from $164
Snæfellsnes Classic Day Tour from ReykjavikThe cheapest guided day to Kirkjufell: about 30 minutes at the mountain on a full loop of the peninsula, by big coach.★ 4.8 · 11 hours · from $143